The Power Of Love
by GypsyRose
Summary: The story is about Joe and my orignal character named Hope. hope is me so ud better like her or.. or.. I'l Cry! >.>


Disclaimer: All the characters that deal with digimon I do not own. If i did, then id be rich and not spending my time here.. lol... Hope is my character that I made up about me. Shes cool!  
  
The Power of Love  
  
Prologue  
  
  
  
Joe looked around the smoky bar and felt nervousness flutter through his stomach. He'd already been a medical student for five years and this was his first time ever being in a bar. The first time didn't really matter because he'd came to pick up two of his friends because they were too drunk to drive home. Plus, the fact that he was so wrapped up in work and school also played a major part in his non-social activity. His girlfriend, or should he say ex-girlfriend, Mimi, had even gotten tired of him. That's the reason he was here. She'd dumped him, over the phone, only and hour ago. They'd been together for three years and Joe couldn't belive the reason she'd ended their loving relationship. Only three months ago she'd moved to New York, the accept a high-paying modeling job that she couldn't resist. There she's found a better man, a manlier man, as she'd put it. His name was Jacob and he was from England. They had met at a photo shoot, and fell instantly in love as soon as they'd laid eyes on each other. "Can I get you another drink good 'lookin?" The tall, blonde, bartender smiled, causing him to wince. Her smile seemed bright enough to light the entire United States for many months. He looked down at his half empty Budwiser he'd been nursing ever since he'd gotten here. "No thanks," he said dejectedly. "What's got you down, sugah'?" she asked, flinging her hair over her shoulders,in an effort to show off her ample amount of clevage. "Nothing." He carefully kept his gaze on her face. "Just another one of those days, I guess," "I've had many a days like that, but remember, alcohol is only a temporary solution. Belive me, I know from experience." She nodded her head purposefully and walked off the serve another customer. He heard the squeeking of the old bar door and looked over his shoulder. He had to hide his look of suprise so the newcomer wouldn't notice. She had shoulder length, strawberry blonde hair and ice blue eyes, and when they met his, the smiled at him along with her cherry red lips. As she walked twards him, he quickly turned back around and looked at the wall in front of him, lined with different alcholic beverages. She sat down next to him, adjusting her long, blue, silk skirt over her long legs and set her beaded white handbag down on the counter. "Hi, Joe." He looked her over again and a vague memory of a study group came back to him. "Oh...hi." She blushed a little and smiled sheepishly. "You don't even remember who I am, do you?" She shifted nervously on the tall round stool. "I do," he insisted, "I'm just bad with names." "I'm Hope Labenta. We studied for that big anatomy final last year." The memory was no longer foggy to him. She'd been the only one that beside him in the entire group that had bothered to review the material before hand. The bartender came back over and winked at him, smiling knowingly, before asking Hope what she wanted. She requested a white wine and they talked for the next three hours, each having four more drinks. After she finished her last one, she slid closer to him and massaged his shoulder through his blow cotton t-shirt. "How 'bout we go back to my place and have a cup of coffee." "Sure," he awnsered before thinking. Maybe he'd had too much to drink, or he was insane, but he still had the uncontrolable urge to go nene the less. He payed for their drinks and together they headed out into the warm summer night.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Three months after that fateful night, Hope woke up at three o'clock in the morning, and rished into the bathroom. She turned on the light and fell to her knees in front of the toilet. She lifted the lid and threw up. Joe walked in with a tired yet concerned look on his face. "Hope?" Her only response was a look of nausiated disgust. She put her head back into the toilet and retched again. She swalllowed hard and leaned back against the wall behind her. Joe wet a washcloth and knelt down beside her, bathing her face lovingly. "You know, this is the fourth time this week," he said worriedly, "You really should go see your doctor" She opend her groggy blue eyes and attepted, but failed, to give him a reasuring smile. "There's nothing he can give me for the flu." "Will you please go?" He pouted jokingly, at her stubborn look, making her break into a slight smile. "For me?" She sighed, giving in, love filling her eyes. "Fine, I'll go...but I already know what he'll say. I am a med student, you know." He tossed the washcloth into the sink, and scooped her up in his strong arms. "What are you doing?" she gasped, a shocked look on her face. "Well, since you're sick and all, you deserve special treatment." He carried her into the bedrrom and tucked her under the covers. "Now," he said, slipping in bed beside her and drawing her close, "We can sleep."  
  
~~~~~  
  
Later that day, Hope sat on the examining table, waiting for the doctor to come back in. She'd been throwing up for three weeks, but Joe had only found out several days ago. He usualy slept through her 'Spells', but durring one of her nastier ones, he heard her. A man weraring a white doctors coat, and a stethoscope around his neck, in his mid-fortys came in. His smile was slightly comforting, yet she still continued to wring her hands in her lap. "I wuldn't happen to have the flu, would I?" "No, It's a good diagnosis. You're going to have a baby." He set his clipboard on the sink counter. "Oh, No..." She moaned, rubbing her temples. "I'm assumong this wasn't a planned pregnancy?" "You could say that." She ran a shaky hand through her long hair. "Can you tell me how far along I am?" "Three months...Do you know who the father is?" He looked down at the clipboard. "Yes...I do..." She sighed deeply. "Would you like to have a sonagram?" She thought about it a minute. "I guess so." He eased her into the laying position and lifted her shirt up far enough to expose her stomach and turned on what looked like a small black and white TV. She sucked ina breath when her rubbed a clear jelly- like substance over her exposed skin. "That's really cold." she hissed. "Yes, but it's all worth it in the end." He took a small computer mouse-like object and slid it over her slick stomach. On the screen, amidst the black and white, was a tiny, barlry visible form of a child.  
  
~~~~  
  
After she left the clinic, she drove straight to her bestfriend, Kaitlyn's house. They'd met when they were in hope was in sixth grade and Kaitlyn was in fifth grade.They had been bestfriends ever since. They rode the on the same bus, and tlked on the phone. That is, on the days that she didn't have dance practices, recitals, or instrumental practice. Joe's handsom face poped back into her mind and she felt like she was going to cry. She knew he was a good guy, but she still wasn't sure how he was going to react to a suprise if this proportion. She, herself, was both joyously happy, and very disdraught. She was stil in shock of the idea that ther was a little human growing inside her. She pulled her car to a stop in front of a small white cottage. It took forty five minutes to get out to it but Hope loved everything about the drive out there:The smell of the fresh air, the chirping birds, the trees, everything. She got out of the car and walked up to the door but before she could knock Kaitlyn, dressed in a purple sundress with brown hair pulled back in a french braid. Her green eyes sparkled with happiness. When she saw the look of worry on her Hope's face, she stepped out of the way so she could come in. She came in and Kaitlyn closed the door behind her. They walked down a hall and into a living room that had several racks of clothes along the peach colored walls. "Is Stephanie back again?" Hope asked, sitting down on the white couch. "How'd you guess?" Stephanie was Kaitlyn's cousin. She was a model and couldnt keep a roof over her head. Kaitlyn had always been her backup if she lost her job for one company and couldn't pay her bills. "So, what's up?" Kaitlyn asked. Wordlessly, Hope handed her the sonagram picture she had been carrying. She looked at it, her jaw dropping in shock. "Hope...Is this what I think it is?" "I'm pregnant," she blurted. Kaitlyn gasped, then squealed happily, hugging Hope. "Oh! I'm going to be a godmother!" Hope looked at her with uncertainty. "Is this a good thing?" "Of Course!" She let go of her, and leaned back against the couch. "Why wouldn't it be?" "What's Joe going to say?" "He's going to absolutly extatic," came a male voice from behind them. The two women turned around to see Jim. He was Joe's brother, and Kaitlyns boyfriend. Hope and Joe had introduced them and they'd instantly hit it off. He had black hair and green eyes, just like Joe. Jim and Joe were twins. They were two completly different people though. Joe was sort of quiet and shy wile Jim was very outspoken and opinionated. The only thing their personalities had in common was that they were both very charming. They both had a way of smiling and a way of talking that made a womans heart melt. "Hom much did you hear?" Hope demanded. "Enough to know that I owe you and my brother congradulations." He walked over and sat down in one of the matching arm chairs. "If you tell him I will dump you in a heartbeat!" Kaitlyn exclaimed. "Whoa! I won't tell him. That's your job not mine." He grinned at Hope and his girlfriend. "Plus, I would never tell him with the risk of losing my girlfriend." "I'd better get going," Hope said, grabbing the picture from her friends hand. "Call me after you tell him," Kaitlyn said, walking to the door with Hope, followed by Jim. She opened the door for har and Hope stepped out onto the stone steps. Jim wrapped his arms around her and set his chin on her shoulder. "Yea, and don't worry about Joe...He'll be happy. I have no doubt bout that." "Thanks," She responded, not beliving him entirely. She turned around and walked to her car, quickly leaving the driveway, and drivingdown the long dirt driveway. "Is he still planning to propose to her tonight?" Kaitlyn asked. "Yea. Apparently they're both in for suprises tonight." He turned her arond in his embrace and they both laughed. "Did I happen to tell you how much I love youtoday?" she asked, smiling up at him. "No..." He pouted, his eyes sparkling. "I feel so...unloved." She smiled, and leaned up, kissing him.  
  
~~~~  
  
The jewlry store clerk handed him back his credit card and a small plastic bag. "Thank you, and remember, we sell anniversary rings too." "OK, I'll keep that in mind if she says yes," Joe said and shared a laugh with the clerk. "Don't worry. I'm sure she will," the clerk said to him as he let the store, the bell on the door ringing behind him. He got into his Suburban van and started it, driving twards home. He thought about the things that had happened in the past three months. After the first night they spent together they'd agreed to cool it and just go on a few dates. They had these two dates before they decided to move in together. Everything seemed perfect, except for the fact that her parents thought it was against the rules that their Christian ancestors made for them, for two people to live together before they were married and refused to talk to either Hope or Joe, untill their daughter came to her senses. Hope was very upset about the whole ordeal. Tonight he planned to propose to Hope at the best resturant in town, Alberenini's. She's always wanted to go there because her parents went there when she was younger. When she asked them if she could go too, they always told her that is was a place for grownups, and she wasn't grown up enough to go. He was so nervous, he was shaking. He was 99.9% sure that she would say yes, but there was still that one tenth of a chance that she would say no. Maybe he was asking too soon. He wrestled with the idea of not asking her but then decided on just going for it. It was now or ever.  
  
~~~~~  
  
When he got to the apartment, everything was dark and all the lights were off. "Hope," he called out into the quiet. When he got no response, on a huch, he walked into the bedroom and found he asleep on the bed. He walked over to her and knelt down next to her sleeping form. "Hope...Hope honey, wake up." He shook her shoulder lightly untill she groaned and opend her eyes groggily. She squinted at him in the darkness. "Joe?" "Yea, it's me. "What time is it?" She sat up and stretched her arms abover her head. "It's six thirty. I wouldn't have woken you up, but were're going out tonight and I made reservations for seven thirty." He stood up and held out his hand to her. She took it and he pulled her up and suprised her by pulling her into his embrace. "I love you," he said, smiling. She felt a tug on her heart and had the urge to tell right here and now. But then a nagging little voice in the back of her mind told her he's push her out of his life an never talk to her again. "I love you too." She leaned up and kissed him lightly. He kissed her back and tightened his grip arond her waist. She moved her mouth away from his, breathing heavily. "Joe," she said breathlessly, "I have to get ready." He reluctanty let her go and walked to the door. He turned on the bedroom light and light flooded the room. He laughed lightly when he saw he squinting. "Dress nice...Not that you don't always look nice." "I get it..." she said. "Now... get out. I'll suprise you." He laughed again and left the room and closed the door behind him. She breathed a sigh of relief , realizing that she'd almost blown it. She put a hand to her chest, willing her heart to slow down. His kisses were like a drug. She felt that it was very hard to resist him. She put her fingertips to her still tingling lips. She walked to the closet and dug out her favorite dress. She'd worn it to her ex-boyfriends' sisters wedding. She's been a bridesmaid but the dress didn't look like something that would be worn in a wedding. It was deep blue, sleevless, and long. It was the fanciest thing she owned. She finished getting dressed, and stood in front of a full length mirror. She turned to her side, noticing that her stomach had begun to swell slightly. She sighed in defeat an walked to her dresser, and picked up her brush. She went back to the mirror and brushed her hair untill it shone and put on a touch of makeup. Only then did she leave the room and go out into the livingroom. When she got out there, she was pleasantly suprised to see Joe in a black tuxedo. A few strands of his his black hair fell over one of his vibrant green eyes, which sparkled merrily when they saw her. "You look absolutly good enough to eat." He walked up to her and wrapped his arms around her waist. "I thought we were going out to eat," she commented provocativly. "Don't tempt me..." he warned. "Well then, I think you should let me go then." They shared a light kiss and a laugh before leaving.  
  
~~~~~  
  
As Joe pulled to a stop in front of Albernini's , Hope gasped "Joe! You didn't!" She looked at him, her eyes wide. "I told you we were going out. Now, aren't you glad I woke you up?" He looked a little a little smug as he smiled. Little did she know, he thought, that the night has only begun. They got out of car, and began to walk twards the large building. He felt for the ring box his breast pocket, and sighed in relief when he discovered it was there. When they got inside, the hostess took them to their seats. Their table was by a large picture window. Outside was a small white gazebo surrounded by a rose garden. "Oh, it's absolutly beautiful," she said, smiling happily. They ordered their meals and within a half an hour, the waitress brought it to them. Later, after they'd finished, they sat back and relaxed. Hope thought about it for a moment, and then decided to tell him. But, as soon as she opened her mouth, a deep male voice cut her off. "Hello, Hope." She knew before she even turned around who it was. "Hello, Jack..." When she did turn around, she was a little suprised at how her ex-boyfriend looked. He had blonde hair and blue eyes, just as she did, but his were cold and hard, wile hers were soft and kind. What really suprised her was that he was wearing a tuxedo. When she was around, all he ever wore, except for when he went to work, was a pair of boxers and an old Harley Davidson tank top. Joe stood up and Hope followed suit. He put a reasuring hand on her shoulder. "Hollo, I don't belive we've met. I'm Joe...Hope's boyfriend." Jack laughed. "Didn't waste any time, did you?" Before she could respond, a tall blonde wearing a figure hugging, red dress walked up beside Jack. "Jack," she said in a whiny voice, "When I got back from the little girls' room, you were gone." "Simone," he siad, putting an arm around her waist, turning her twards Hope and Joe, "This is Hope and her boyfriend...um...what was your name again?" "Joe..." he said, trying to keep his temper in check. "Right... Joe," he said, his hard eyes twinkling with delight. "So you're the the ex-girlfriend I hear so much about." She shook hands with her, and then Joe. Simone sized up the couple, looking for amunition. "So... I guess I owe we owe you congratulations. How far along are you?" She raised a delicate eyebrow, and smiled when she saw the look of shock on the other woman's face. "Five...six months?" "Um... Joe?" Hope turned to Joe. "How about we go dance? " He looked a little confused but still said yes to her offer. "It was nice meeting you." He took her by the arm and began to lead her out to the dance floor when Jack called her name. "One more thing," he said hatefully, "Haven't I seen that dress before?" "No, I don't think so," she said through gritted teeth. He looked like God himself had spoken to him. "Yes I have. You were a bridesmaid at my sisters wedding. That's the dress you and the others wore." "Thank you," she said in a mono tone. "I see that you haven't changed much. You're still your usual charming self." She and Joe walked to the edge of the dance floor, he pulling her into his arms, and began to sway, the echo of the other couples' laughter behind them. "Are you OK?" He was still a little confused by what Simone had said, but he knew it was something that had made Hope uncomfortable. "Yea," she said, humming along with the familiar instrumental song. They continues to dance for a wile, the songs changing several times. Joe decided to ask her right now wile he had the nerve. "Hope?" She made an incoherent noise in her throat that seemed to say, "Yes?" "Will you marry me?" She took a step away from him, her eyes wide. Than, suddenly, her eyes rolled in the back of her head and she collapsed, hitting her head on the corner of a nearby table. When she hit the ground, a dark red pool of blood began to pool behind her head. Joe dropped down on his knees beside her. "Somebody call 911!"  
  
~~~~~  
  
In the hospital waiting room, Joe paced back and forth for more than an hour. As soon as he got there, he'd called his family and they'd rushed down to be with him. Then he called her parents, and Jim had called Kaitlyn. "You know, pacing isn't going to help her get better any faster," his father said. He was sitting in a chair next to his wife, holding her hand for reasurance. Hope had quickly become part of their family. They loved her as much as Joe did. When the doctor came out of her room, Joe quickly walked up to him. "Is she going to be alright?" "Yes, other than a nasty bump on the head, she's fine." He smiled when Joe sighed in relief. Kaitlyn rushed in the door, and looked around franticly. When she saw Joe and the others, she hurried up to them. "Is she going to be Ok?" "Yes," Joe awnsered. "And what about the...ah...you know what?" At first the doctor seemed confused, but then he understood what she was tallking about. "Yes, It's fine too..." She breathed a sigh of relief, and was calmer untill she saw Joe looking at her suspicously. "What are you talking about?" The doctor cleared his throat. "You can go see her now if you want..." "Thanks," Joe said. He looked back at Kaitlyn. "We'll talk about this later." He walked in and saw Hope on the bed, gingerly touching the back of her head, wincing in pain. "I don't think you should do that..." She looked up at him and smiled. "Hi." He went over and sat down on a chair that was beside her bed, and grabbed her hand. "How are you feeling?" "I just have a headache...and a cut...other than that, I'm fine." She looked into his worried eyes. "I have to tell you something." She decided to tell him now because if he got angry, he couldn't kill her here because there would be too many witnesses. "Can't it wait untill later? You really need your rest." "No it can't. Joe, I'm p-" A loud wail came from the door. She looked up and saw a woman wearing a turquoise tailored suit. "You called my mother?" Hope asked angrily, through gritted teeth. "Oh...Hope!" She wailed. "Hello Mother..." she said, squeezing his hand a little tighter. "I was so worried." "I"m suprised," Hope awnsered resentfully. Her mother bristled. "I came here to see of you're ok, not to be insulted." "Well...then why don't you leave?" "Hope! I'm your my daughter!" She walked in a little further ad she saw the rest of her visitors standing behind her mother, watchning the argument. "By birth, not by choice..." She glared at her mother. "I know when I'm not wanted...I'll leave..." She turned around, but stopped when Hope called her. "Mom, wait...I want you to hear this..." She tuened and looked at Joe. "Honey, what's wrong?" He looked extremly worried that she was going to say that she was dying or something. "Nothing's wrong, atleast I don't think so." She looked up into his eyes. "I"m pregnant..." Her mother wailed again, putting the back of her hand to her forehead, her eyelids fluttering. "Oh...no...you must be mistaken." She ignored her mother because her thoughts didn't matter. Only Joes' did. His eyes held a mixture of shock and anger. She looked down at her lap, and attempted to pull her hand from his grasp, but he wouldn't let go. "It's Ok...I'll take care of the baby myself. You don't even have to pay part of the financal things." "He certainly will!" her mother exclaimed. "You," she said, pointing at Joe, "Will marry my daughter...weather you like it or not!" "Mother!" She was shocked at her mothers' angry outburst. "No! He is not going to leave you in your time of need, like that other guy, Jack! Especially now! You just had to go and get yourself pregnant, didn't you?! You just made things harder on yourself!" "Mrs. Labenta, will you please leave so Hope and I can talk?" Joe asked. "There's nothing for you two to talk about! You are going to marry my daughter!" She put her hands on her hips, glaring at him. The doctor, who'd been standing at the door, watching the precedings take place. "Mrs. Labenta, if you don't leave, I have to call security to escort you out of the building." "Hmph! I will not stand here and take this." She turned on her heel, fuming, and left the room. "Thank you," Joe said to the doctor. "Ok," the doctor said, turning around and facing the small crowd that had gathered, "Nothingleft to see here folks. Let's leave them alone." They made a sound of protes when he closed the door, leaving Hope and Joe alone in the quiet room. "Why didn't you tell me?" She looked at him and was suprised to see that his eyes were glazed with tears. "I was going to tell you at the resturant but then Jack came and interrupted me." He slid off the chair and got down on one knee, and pulled the ring box out of his pocket, opening it. "Hope, your mother was right. I am going to be part of our childs life. I still want to marry you, if you want to marry me, that is." Her eyes filled with happy tears. "Of course I'll marry you. But do you think you'll be able to put up with me being a cranky pregnant lady?" He smiled at her, he slipped the ring on her finger, and stood up. "I wouldn't have you any other way." He leaned foreward and kissed her lips.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Over the next month and a half, Hope gradualy grew larger and began eating everything imaginable. She and Joe finally set a date for the wedding and were making the final touches on the plans. The exciting event was only two days ago. "Oh...this is so good," she said with a full mouth. Kaitlyn had made her a Texas Sheet Cake and she was almost finished with it. She was happily ,eating it when the doorbell rang. "I'll get it," Kaitlyn said. She opened the door and saw Stephanie standing there. Stephane was a nineteen year old beauty. Her brown hair fell over her shoulders, shining and silky. Her eyes were the color of the Pacific Ocean, and when she smiled, she revealed her devestatingly charming grin. "Hey guys," she said, walking past Kaitlyn and into the apartment, sitting beside Hope on the couch. She gave her pregnant friend a disgusted look. "Eiew! Do you know how many calories are in that?" Hope wiped her mouth with with a nearby napkin and took a big gulp of her milk. "You try eating for two." Kaitlyn closed the door and turned around with a sarcastic lookon her face. "She'd never do that...she barely eats enough for one." "I do to!" "All you ever eat is rice cakes, and I'm the one who pays for them." Kaitlyn waved her arms around for emphasis. "Oh, yea. That's the reason I came here. We're out of rice cakes again." She crossed her legs and rested her hands on her knees. "You mean you're out of rice cakes. And didn't I just buy some two days ago?" "Same differance...and yes, we did buy some the other day, but got the small bag," she said indignently. "There's that we again! I buy them...not you! Go out and buy your own rice cakes!" She let out an angery breath as Stephanie stood up and marched to the door. She opened it and as she went to leave, she turned around. "I came here to see how my pregnant friend was, not be insulted. I know when I'm not wanted. I'll just leave." She slammed the door as she left. "I'm done," Hope said, holing out her empty plate to Kaitlyn. She laughed, sighed, and took the it from her friends hand. She set it down on the coffee table in front of her. "After all that...I'm the one that needs choclate." Hope stood up on still legs and groaned. "Oh, I don't think I should've sat here all day." She hobbled over to the bathroom door. "You're getting awfuly big, aren't you?" "Yea, but the doctor said it's natural because I've been eating so much." She leaned against the wall behind her, rubbing her stomach affectionately. "You're just a hungry little baby, aren't you?" Hope asked her stomach. "It hurts me to say this, but your either going to have one very big baby, or multipul babies." Hope laughed, not caring about her friends opinion."Wouldn't my mother love that? I can see it now."She imitated her mothers' low wailing sound. "Oh, you've already mad me a mother before my time. Don't you think one's enough?" Both women shared a laugh, knowing that what Hope had just said was very true.  
  
~~~~~  
  
Hope looked around the large, empty cage, and saw the door to get out. She went to it, but was suprised to discover that it was locked. "Joe!" she called out to the busy circus grounds. He walked up wearing a ringmasters outfit, carrying a baby in a blue blanket in his arms. "So...you're finally awake...," he comented in an impatient tone. "Joe, get me out of here." "Sorry, Hope. I can't do that. You've become out star attraction." He walked closer, and the baby began to cry. It took her a moment to realize that it was their child that was crying. "Joe, give me my baby..." "Sorry, I can't do that either. He belongs to the bearded lady and the monkey man now." A man and a woman fitting the descriptions he just said came walking up and took the baby from his arms. "Don't worry," the lady said with an evil grin on her face. "We'll take great care of him..." The couple began to laugh, and all of a sudden, the laughter got louder because they and Joe disapeared into the large crown that surrounded her cage. "JOE!" Hope screamed. "JOE! DON'T DO THIS! GIVE ME MY BABY BACK!" As sudden as the laughter began it started to fade away as darkness engulfed her. "NO! GIVE ME MY BABY!" She felt herself being shaken. Her moist eyes poped open and she saw Joes face above her. "Hope...Hope, what's wrong? Are you OK?" She shoved him away, and sat up in the bed. She was soked with sweat and the sheets were tangled around her. She put a hand to her chest and attemped to calm her breathing. "A dream...It was just a dream..." She loked over at Joe and saw that he was on the floor. He stood up and sat on the edge of the bed, cautious. "Are you OK?" "I'm fine..." she said. "I just had a bad dream." She fought to hold back the tears the wanted to escape. "OK," he said, sliding back into bed beside her. "Joe?" "Huh?" He looked over at her and could see that she's failed at holding back the flood that was behind her eyelids. "No...Just hold me...please..." He scooted closer to her, pulling her into his arms. She began to sob into his shoulder as he held her close. He petted her hair soothingly, in an attept to calm her down.  
  
~~~~  
  
It was the day of the wedding and everyone that was involved was on pins and needles. Hope was in a room in the back of the church, making the final touches to herself. Her mother and Kaitlyn were in there with her. "OK," Kaitlyn said, "Stand up and strut your stuff." She did and they gasped at how beautiful she looked. Her hair was pinned up un a bun with a tiera attached to a vail, and her gown was a cream color with lots of flowers embroidered in the trane. She ran her hands over the soft material covering her barely visible stomach, smoothing out invisible wrinkles. "Now, you're almost ready," her mother said, handing her a small necklace box. Hope opened it and gasped in shock. "Mother..." In the box was a pearls necklace. "Were these grannys?" "Yes. She gave them to me on my wedding day and told me to pass them onto you on your wedding day and continue the tradition. Her great grandmother gave them to her grandmother, her grandmother gave them to her mother, her mother gave them to her, my mother gave them to me, and now I give them to you. You have to pass them onto your daughter." She sighed deeply. "I wish mother was here to see this." Hope's grandmother had died a year and a half ago and even though she was gone, nobody had spoped missing her. "OK," Kaitlyn said, breaking the sad silence. "That's someting old, your dress is new, and here's something borrowed." She held out her hand and in it was a set of pearl earrings that matched her necklace exactly. "Their beautiful...How'd you get them to match the necklace?" "A little bit of planning ahead on my part," her mother said. "Now put everything on and get ready." "But she needs something blue," Kaitlyn said. "Don't worry about that," Hope said with a sly smile, clasping the necklace around her neck. "I have something blue on..." She put in the earrings as the three women shared a laugh. There was a knock at the door. "Come in unless you're Joe!" Hope hollared. "It's just me..." Came the reverands voice form the other side of the door. "Come in!" He peeked his head in the door, and smiled warmly. "Five minutes till show time." "Thanks...Oh, I'm so nervous!" Hope said, puling her vail down over her face. "I think the grooms more nervous than you.." From down the hall came Joe's hollar. "I can tie my own bloody tie!" The women and the reverand laughed, breaking the tension.  
  
~~~  
  
As the plane took off, joe looked over at his new wife and grabbed her hand, smiling. "Are you happy, love?" "More then you'll ever know..."  
  
THE END 


End file.
